Articles by " Music Fans Mic"
Infinite Bisous - “Confused Porn”
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Ignore the title and just stay with me for a minute: trudging through the snow, head filled with pipe-dream thoughts on vacations and moments of escape, it’s easy to forget exactly what the British Summertime consists of. Us pale, cynical specimens aren’t moulded for such an experience. There’s the wasp stings, the barbecue that gets drenched in rain as soon as you get it out of the shed, the allergies, the factor 30 suncream, the London underground as you’re surrounded by an amazing—truly, it’s impressive—array of smells, previously unencountered by the vulnerable nostril.
Infinite Bisous match that experience to a T. Hot and nervy, it sticks to your ears like your smart-casual shirt latches onto your sticky back. It’s summer, but only as we Brits know it. “Confused Porn”, despite its unappealing, given name, is a hugely exciting first track from a producer who matches the likes of Egyptian Hip Hop and Metronomy in using the synth as a deadly weapon.
Instead of opting for pulsating euphoria or chirpy pop, it chooses to paint a picture. The sound of “Confused Porn” is slightly queasy, intentionally so. It’s uneasiness defined. But behind the purposeful atmosphere lies a producer at the top of their game, entirely confident of their own ability. Nobody knows who it is yet. But a lot of people are going to be asking for Infinite Bisous.
Kellen Malloy - “Ocotillo II (Nite Fell)”
This song is made up of two parts. If I had a say in the matter, it’d have infinite extensions. Kellen Malloy‘s career could just be one long, projected process, spilling out “Ocotillo” after “Ocotillo”. If it takes working under this song’s name to produce sounds of this craft, magnitude, and sheer force, it’s a no-brainer: Malloy should write half a thousand “Ocotillo”‘s.
As they exist, the two pieces overlap in some intentionally indescribable haze. Daunting and daring, the first piece has Malloy‘s voice acting as a distinct element, flickering into the foreground like some morse code that’s trying to say something crucial, in amongst the fog. The second piece spells out its message loud and clear. Terrifying and distinct, strange looping synths, like something out of a place of worship in the future, set the tone. Bass notes hit the walls, and Malloy‘s voice barely utters a single recognisable word in amongst the furore.
There’s a time and a place for this sort of music. You’re not afraid of anything. In fact you’re probably feeling less afraid than ever. But you choose a particular kind of music just to awaken you, to send you out of comfort and into another perspective. Fever Ray‘s “If I Had A Heart” tends to fill this space. Its throbbing bass growl tames its listening beast and makes you fear again. “Ocotillo Pt. II (Nite Fell)” is the same. The clouds gather and the nite does indeed fall. You’re sitting there, nigh on waiting for some stranger’s hand to land on your shoulder.
It’s a listening experience like few others. And for it to emerge from an artist as new to our ears as this LA individual is thrilling.
Savoir - “Zinli Rhythm”
The New Year break gives you an opportunity to find those extra few hours that somehow went amiss when you woke up, worked, ate and slept in the bulk of the past twelve months. I spent these spare days initially with nothing but excitement, but eventually I found myself trying to fend off boredom. I tackled this by reading books such as Mark Oliver Everett (Eels) autobiography, sobbing over said book, before moving onto this thick, beautifully-sealed work by Talking Heads‘ David Byrne. It’ll take a while to get through (probably three years’ worth of Christmas breaks!) but already How Music Works is one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever read.
From what I’ve flicked through so far, its fundamentals are that creation adapts to its environment. That music will evolve to suit its surroundings. As early NY jazz is primed for smoke-filled bars with low ceilings, music emerging out of Africa is more catered to an outdoor setting. So it’s with much trepidation and bewilderment to hear the sounds of this continent being so masterfully transferred into that small, addictive mp3 that’s so taken over our lives.
Its performers are two producers from Perth, Australia. James Ireland is already fairly established and Andrew Sinclair‘s love of unconventional world samples is probably what contributes most to this debut Savoir track, on which the two producers combine. I’ve already been baited for calling this a track that’ll stand out in end of year lists come December, but seriously, if you hear a chorus as striking as the one gracing “Zinli Rhythm”, come back to me. That Africa-based infusion mixes with entrancing synthetic tweaks and an M.I.A. style vocal. It’s endless in appeal, and it’d bring a smile to Mr. Byrne, no doubt about it.
Mood Tattooed - “Shine Rested Moon”
New York producer Mood Tattooed sprung up on us in 2012 with two EPs, Spectral Vera and Pirate Treasures. While those EPs were dub-heavy and swept along in a tide of manic sampling and sweet, chill refrains, the latest song to come from the mind of Hagan Knauth is a stranger, less tame beast. It’s impossible to categorise on first listen. You’ve no choice but to sit back and enjoy the thrill of being surrounded by the warm mesh of sounds, inseparable to the naked ear.
“Shine Rested Moon”, once the dust settles, exposes itself as an iridescent piece, resplendent in beauty and an unhindered glow of reverb-drenched guitar patterns. Scatterbrained and fidgety, it never sits still for more than a couple of seconds. Layer upon layer of bleeping synths or muted guitars overlap, and the overall result is Knauth’s strongest, most intense listen to date. Hell, I could spend the entirety of 2013 with this as my soundtrack.
Quality Cinema - “r&r”
One of my favourite moments from the past year was seeing Majical Cloudz go from casual Grimes collaborator making songs heavy on reverb, to all out songwriter making some of the most intense pop songs in living memory. It was like a ‘eureka!’ moment; Devon Welsh realising he could put his vocals at the top of the mix instead of following bedroom artist convention. I feel like East Lansing, Michigan’s Quality Cinema is on the brink of a similar discovery, with “r&r” being the song that truly etches away at the truth, the finality of this guy’s talent, just waiting to expose itself in full.
Distinct synth calls bellow and our singer speaks of stumbling through the grass and ending up “slightly stoned”. It’s direct and affecting at its heart, but the musicianship adds a layer of ether over reality, so while we’re given hints at just how good this guy could be, we’re instead given a subtle gem—something you admire rather than collapse into.
Stream Quality Cinema‘s “r&r” below:
